Sunday, August 05, 2012

What is your perfect day?

Yesterday was my birthday.  I won't say which one.

Suffice to say I'm older than I was last year. ;-)

But still younger than I will be next year. ;-)

So it all balances out I guess. Right?

I had a great day. I'm sure it's not every girls dream birthday, but I was pretty pleased with it.

My family was up from DE so we were all here. YAY #1.

Cleaned off part of the carport, broke down old cardboard boxes, and I had helptaking a load of junk to the dump. YAY #2. I am so glad to get some of that mess out of here.

Here's where things get really exciting. Yes, at the dump.

Yes, on my birthday.

Let me back up and say that I've been wanting some pallets. You know, wood slats, box like, pallets.

Ya know what I mean, right?

So I've been keeping my eye out but I just never seem to see them. (Remember, Mike, when I wanted the pallets at the hotel in TN back in June?)

Anyway, as I backed up to the dumpster at the dump, I spotted a whole stack of pallets over on the other side of the parking lot. There must have been a dozen of them - just lying there. AT THE DUMP!

So, after unloading my car, I drove over and asked if those were for trash.

Unfortunately, they weren't.

However, the very nice Mr. Dump Man told me I could have one or two.

YAY #3!  This was about to be my lucky birthday.

happy-happy-joy-joy !!!

except. . . . .

pallets are frickin' big. Bigger than they look.

and my car's not. that. big.

(and yes, I do recall Mike telling me in TN that I probably couldn't get them in my car)

As I was dejectedly putting the too big pallet back, enter Mr Dump Man #2.

In my memory it goes something like this:

Pssst. Hey. (me?)

Yea you. You want pallets? (arrrugh?)

Pallets. pallets - you want 'em? (ok, he's got my ear now)

So here's what you do see. You get in your car. you drive to the back of the parking lot, take a right and follow that road til it ends, take another right and drive out to the wood scrap lot yard dump (I can't remember what he called it). used to be, there'd be some pallets there. probably still is.

'yea, and I can have 'em?"  My happy-happy-joy-joy is returning.

sure ya can have 'em. no one should bother yous

and off I go.

with my Dad.

Did I mention my Dad was with me? Shaking his head the whole time but, to his credit, not uttering one negative word. (hey. he's known me my whole life!)

Through the parking lot, around the bend, up the hill and things are starting to look, well, nothing short of promising.

I see piles of yard waste, branches, trees, shrubby stuff....piles longer, wider, taller than the goods at the North Pole in the mind of a 6 year old.

A large bulldozerythingy is shoveling limbs into a chipper and there are mounds upon mounds of mulch. The road turns to dirt and as we're passing pile after pile of mulch......up ahead and to the right, we see this:


 LA-LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

and there is much rejoicing. 

(and my father is still shaking his head) 




It's pallet heaven. 

Hello beautiful.

and lovely. 

and you sweet thing.
Two in my trunk and one in my backseat. 

And despite the 130 degree heat, I'm practically tossing the pallets into the car with one hand as part of my happy dance, all the while as I'm humming Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me....

(at least that is how I remember it) 

I also found some great 2 x 4s that I wedged into the car.........

and then as we departed, I see these



Spools. 

and I thought pallets were exciting.

I know where I'll be next Saturday.

But first I need to find a truck. 

Then it was back home where I unloaded the pallets and put them in the basement. The rest of the day was lunch/dinner and then relaxing reading....outside in the sun for a while and then inside reclining on the sofa in the AC. A piece of cake, a bit of ice cream and screen time tuned to the Olympics (not necessarily all in that order)

Oh yea, it was a positively perfect birthday. :)  Don'tcha think?